COOKING DEVICE AND COMPONENTS THEREOF
Disclosed herein is a cooking system for cooking food, the system including a housing having a hollow interior, a lid movable relative to the housing, at least one heating element associated with one of the housing and the lid, wherein the cooking system is operable in a plurality of modes including a conductive cooking mode and a convective cooking mode, wherein in the conductive cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a conductive cooker and in the convective cooking mode the cooking system is operable as a convection cooker.
1 . A cooking system comprising:
a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive food;
a controller configured to operate the cooking system in a plurality of modes, said plurality of modes including:
a conductive cooking mode employing a first heater,
a convective cooking mode employing a second heater, and
a combination cooking mode employing said first heating element and said second heating element,
wherein said controller is configured to receive an initial user input that initiates said combination cooking mode, and switch operation between said first heating element and said second heating element following said initial user input and without further user input.
2 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein in said conductive cooking mode, the system is operable as a pressure cooker.
3 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein in said convective cooking mode the system is operable as an air fryer.
5 . The cooking system of claim 1 , further including a food container that is receivable in said hollow chamber and wherein food is receivable in said food container in both said pressure cooking mode and said convective cooking mode.
6 . The cooking device of claim 5 , wherein said food container includes a food support surface, and food is receivable in said food container in contact with said food support surface in both said conductive cooking mode and said convective cooking mode.
7 . The cooking system of claim 1 , further including a fan is disposed in said lid at or above an opening at an upper extent of said hollow chamber.
8 . The cooking system of claim 1 , further including a first temperature sensor proximate said first heating element and a second temperature sensor in said lid.
9 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein the system is operable in both of said conductive cooking mode and said convective cooking mode without having to remove said food container from the hollow chamber.
10 . The cooking system of claim 5 , further comprising an insert for supporting a food item in said food container.
11 . The cooking system of claim 10 , said insert being positionable within said food container to form an annulus between an inner wall of said food container and an outer wall of said insert.
12 . The cooking system of claim 11 , wherein said insert further comprises a base and an open end, said base including a plurality of apertures that allow fluid to flow through said base.
13 . The cooking system of claim 5 , further including a diffuser disposed in said food container, said diffuser including at least one vane configured to impart rotation to fluid circulating through said hollow chamber.
14 . The cooking system of claim 12 , further including a diffuser disposed beneath said base, said diffuser including at least one vane configured to impart rotation to fluid circulating through said plurality of apertures during said convective cooking mode.
15 . The cooking system of claim 12 , further including a fan disposed with said at least one heating element disposed in said lid, said fan being positioned to move heated air relatively downward through said annulus, relatively horizontally across a lower surface of said food container, and relatively upward through said diffuser and said plurality of apertures of said base.
16 . The cooking system of claim 14 , wherein said diffuser is configured to create a vortex of air circulating through said insert.
17 . The cooking system of claim 14 , wherein said food container includes an upward facing lower surface that is curved upward in a direction of an upper opening of said food container, and said diffuser includes a downward facing lower surface that is curved or sloped to conform to said upward facing lower surface of said food container.
18 . The cooking system of claim 15 , wherein said fan is positioned to draw air relatively upward through said insert and through said at least one heating element disposed in said lid.
19 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said lid abuts said housing about a substantial entirety of said upper surface thereof when said lid is in said closed position.
20 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said housing surrounds said food container around a substantial entirety of at least a portion thereof when said food container is received within said hollow chamber.
21 . The cooking system of claim 1 , wherein said lid is affixed to said housing while being movable relative to said housing.